1. Field of the Invention
The invention broadly relates to walking sticks and ski poles.
2. Prior Art
Walking sticks and ski poles typically have fixed lengths that do not fit everyone. A stick or pole sized for an average adult may be too long for a short adult or child, or too short for a tall adult. Even if the stick or pole is the correct length for walking or skiing on a horizontal surface, it would be too short when going uphill because the ground ahead of the person is angled up, and too long when going downhill because the ground ahead of the person is angled down.
Accordingly, the primary object of the present stick is to be adjustable in length over a sufficiently large range to fit different people and terrain. Another object is to be very quickly and easily adjustable, for example, when transitioning from going uphill to downhill, or vice versa.
The present stick is comprised of a first tube telescopically connected to a larger second tube. The first and second tubes are biased away from each other by a coaxial coil spring acting against stops on the tubes. A shaft is positioned within the first tube, and is biased outwardly from an outer end of the first tube by another coaxial coil spring acting against stops on the first tube and the shaft. A cam is attached to an inner end of the shaft. Holes are arranged on the first tube adjacent the cam. Balls are positioned inside the first tube between the cam and the holes. Detcents are arranged along the second tube. When the shaft is in an up position, the balls are forced by the cam outwardly through the holes and into detents which are aligned with the holes to lock the first and second tubes relative to each other. When the shaft is depressed, the balls are retracted by the cam away from the detents and allow the first and second tubes to telescope. First and second tubular housings are respectively fixed around the first and second tubes.